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Cosmoline · March 11, 2001, 12:39 PM

Here's my two cents on German Shepherd Dogs--DO NOT GET AN AKC-STYLE GSD! The Americans have bred all the quality out of the breed, turning them into dangerous high-strung creatures. Get a GSD with strong German working lines and you can't go wrong. Don't get one for looks. Do a web search for "schutzhund" and you'll get plenty of hits. I worked with a great dog with strong lines and he was amazing. He was amiable and polite, and not at all high-strung. He allowed strange children to pet him without a growl. On the other hand, he turned into a mass of astonishing fury when ordered to do so. I once launched him at a tree, and he flew up in the air, latched onto a branch with a good full bite and hung there till I "ousted" him. Wonderful animal, and a good friend. We used to destroy snow men together, and I have no doubt he would have backed me in any fight. Gunshots didn't bother him at all, and he never chased moose and only rarely chased cats. He would have made a terrible hunting dog, but you don't want an easily-distracted protection dog. The only time he ran off was to investigate a bitch in heat. As far as cost, you can pick up a bargain (if you're not interested in breeding) by getting a slightly older GSD with hips good enough for working, but not for breeding.

I also highly recommend Shutzhund-style protection dog training. It's tough on the dogs, but they love it. Don't listen to the AKC crap about "cruelty." These are German dogs, and they need German discipline ;-) What would be terribly cruel to a lazy coon hound works wonders with GSDs.

But be warned, if you do get a good GSD you'll discover they have the intellect of a monkey. It's the only dog I've ever seen actually put two distinct thoughts together and come to a reasoned conclusion (re. where I'd hidden bones, toys, etc.)

March 11, 2001, 12:39 PM	#3
Cosmoline Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2000 Posts: 1,080	Here's my two cents on German Shepherd Dogs--DO NOT GET AN AKC-STYLE GSD! The Americans have bred all the quality out of the breed, turning them into dangerous high-strung creatures. Get a GSD with strong German working lines and you can't go wrong. Don't get one for looks. Do a web search for "schutzhund" and you'll get plenty of hits. I worked with a great dog with strong lines and he was amazing. He was amiable and polite, and not at all high-strung. He allowed strange children to pet him without a growl. On the other hand, he turned into a mass of astonishing fury when ordered to do so. I once launched him at a tree, and he flew up in the air, latched onto a branch with a good full bite and hung there till I "ousted" him. Wonderful animal, and a good friend. We used to destroy snow men together, and I have no doubt he would have backed me in any fight. Gunshots didn't bother him at all, and he never chased moose and only rarely chased cats. He would have made a terrible hunting dog, but you don't want an easily-distracted protection dog. The only time he ran off was to investigate a bitch in heat. As far as cost, you can pick up a bargain (if you're not interested in breeding) by getting a slightly older GSD with hips good enough for working, but not for breeding. I also highly recommend Shutzhund-style protection dog training. It's tough on the dogs, but they love it. Don't listen to the AKC crap about "cruelty." These are German dogs, and they need German discipline ;-) What would be terribly cruel to a lazy coon hound works wonders with GSDs. But be warned, if you do get a good GSD you'll discover they have the intellect of a monkey. It's the only dog I've ever seen actually put two distinct thoughts together and come to a reasoned conclusion (re. where I'd hidden bones, toys, etc.)